Following a $13 million renovation that will bring it up to brand standards, the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in downtown Kansas City, Mo., will become a Sheraton hotel, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced last month.
One of more than 60 new hotels and over 20,000 rooms that Starwood expects to add to the Sheraton portfolio over the next three years, the 733-room property — now called the Sheraton Crown Center — is scheduled to debut on Jan. 1, 2012. When it opens, it will feature more than 95,000 square feet of meeting space.
"We are delighted to grow our portfolio in Kansas City with the upcoming opening of Sheraton Crown Center," said Hoyt Harper, senior vice president, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. "The successful completion of our multi-billion re-branding effort continues to drive conversion opportunities like this one in key markets across North America. Sheraton Crown Center will exemplify the new look and feel of Sheraton and showcase all our signature brand offerings."
The Sheraton Crown Center joins The Westin Crown Center as the second Starwood property in the Crown Center, an upscale lifestyle center that's positioned less than a mile from both the Kansas City Convention Center and the popular Power and Light entertainment district. It's adjacent to the 53,000-square-foot Crown Center Exhibit Hall, which Starwood also has agreed to operate, along with two restaurants in the Crown Center shopping center.
"We are very pleased to have Starwood operating both hotel properties at Crown Center," said Bill Lucas, president of Crown Center Redevelopment Corp. "This will greatly simplify group negotiations and provide significant efficiencies that improve the customer experience. Crown Center will truly be a one-stop convention destination."